Why 99% Fail on Amazon KDP and Print on Demand – And How You Can Avoid It

If you've ever stumbled upon a YouTube video with titles like The Brutal Truth About Why Some People Succeed and Some Fail on Amazon KDP or Why 99% Fail, you’re probably hoping to get the secret formula that will skyrocket your online product sales. The truth? These videos are often more about getting views for the content creator than about offering you real, actionable advice.

You see, many YouTubers and bloggers capitalize on your desire to succeed. They claim to have cracked the code to success, but in reality, most of these videos only show you the technical aspects—uploading files, setting up listings, and using simple tools. They show you photos of successful stores or earnings reports, but they rarely dive into the critical, behind-the-scenes work that leads to success. Marketing. Understanding your audience. Finding your niche. Selling your product.

Let’s break this down.

The Hidden Truth Behind the Videos

Many creators use titles like Why 99% Fail or The Brutal Truth to grab your attention, but what they’re not telling you is this: they are the ones profiting from your failure. Sure, they give you a “formula” or a “step-by-step guide,” but what’s really happening is that they’re selling you their own strategies, courses, or affiliate links. They’ll show you pictures of success—often just screenshots of their store’s sales figures—but they rarely explain what’s actually needed to succeed: how to stand out in a saturated market.

Think about it. If it were as simple as uploading a file and making money, they wouldn’t need to make endless videos about it. They wouldn’t need to sell you their secret formula for success. They would just be focusing on building their own stores. But they know it’s not that easy.

In reality, success on Amazon KDP, Print on Demand, or any other online platform requires a much more substantial effort. It’s not just about uploading a file and waiting for money to appear in your bank account. It’s about understanding your audience, connecting with them, creating content they want, and promoting your products effectively.

The Importance of Marketing

If you’ve ever been frustrated watching these videos, it’s because they leave out the most important part: marketing your product. Just because you upload a book or a design doesn’t mean it will automatically sell. That’s like saying that if you build a store in the middle of a desert, people will show up and buy your products. Without exposure, no one will know it exists.

Let’s look at some examples:

1. The Success Story of Author A: This person made six figures on Amazon KDP, but if you dig deeper, you’ll find they invested time in building an email list, marketing their books on social media, participating in paid ads, and engaging with readers. They didn’t simply upload a book and hope for the best—they worked hard at creating a community and promoting their work.

2. The Print-on-Demand Success: There’s another video showing a Print on Demand designer’s success. They show their earnings but gloss over the fact that the designer markets their products constantly, creates a unique brand, and has a strong social media presence. This isn’t success through passive uploads—this is the result of strategic marketing.

Why the Only Profit is Going to the YouTuber

It’s not wrong to want to make money online, but the truth is that many of these videos are primarily about making money for the YouTuber. They create content that appeals to your desire for a quick win, and then they sell you something else—whether it’s a course, eBook, or affiliate links to tools they recommend. This is where the real profit lies.

If it were as easy as uploading files and making money, then why would these YouTubers spend their time making videos instead of focusing on their own businesses? They know it’s not that simple, and that’s why they keep selling the “how-to” packages. The only ones making consistent money in this cycle are the ones creating content telling you how easy it is to succeed—because they get paid with your attention.

The Hard Truth: Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees

If you’ve ever been promised a quick and easy way to make money online, whether it’s on KDP, Print on Demand, or any other platform, you know by now that money doesn’t grow on trees. There’s no magic formula. Success comes from hard work, perseverance, and continuous learning.

Look at the bigger picture: online income isn’t built just by uploading files, whether it’s a book or a T-shirt design. It’s about understanding your target market, creating valuable products, and developing your own marketing strategy. The key is not just uploading and hoping for sales—it’s about being strategic in how you approach your business. Real success doesn’t come from just showing a product; it comes from making your product visible to the right people.

The Reality: You Need to Do the Work

These YouTubers and bloggers often promise that you can live the dream lifestyle by following a simple formula. But if it were that simple, they wouldn’t need to make videos or blog posts. They would be too busy making money from their own businesses.

In reality, online income takes effort. Whether it’s learning how to market your book on KDP or promoting your designs on a Print on Demand site, there’s a lot more to success than simply uploading your files. If you really want to make it in this business, you need to:

• Research your niche. Understand what people want and what is missing in the market.
• Create quality content. Don’t just throw something together and hope it sells.
• Market your product. Social media, email lists, ads, SEO—these are the strategies that make things happen.
• Engage with your audience. Building a community around your product will help you create repeat customers.

Success isn’t an overnight thing, and it doesn’t happen by just uploading files and hoping for the best. So the next time you come across one of those “Why 99% Fail” videos, remember the truth: they’re selling you their own success story, and the real work lies with you.

Keep focused on the process, learn, adapt, and create something that people will love. The rest will follow.